Governor Hogan Announces Initiatives to Ease Student Debt

Rockville, MD (KK) – Monday, Governor Larry Hogan announced new initiatives for relieving student debt. He made the announcements at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville.

Governor Hogan says on the first day of the 2019 legislative session, he will introduce the Student Debt Relief Act which would make student loan interest 100% deductible. Similar legislation was introduced two years ago.

“Nearly everyone in Maryland would support this idea. Unfortunately and inexplicably, the legislature refused to pass this common sense proposal. In fact, they refused to ever even bring it to the floor for a vote, and to me, that is completely unacceptable,” said Governor Hogan.

The proposed legislation would also expand the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program to include four-year institutions. Also announced Monday, Governor Hogan added $3 million to Maryland’s SmartBuy program which helps first-time home buyers burdened by student debt.

The governor also signed an executive order to help qualified state employees with up to $20,000 of their student loans.